Floor sweepers are known which have bucket-type dirt pick-up containers. Some machines have containers of integral construction, others have two separate dirt containers. The larger, single containers may extend transversely substantially over the entire width of the machine, in which case they are bulky and heavy. In order to remove the dirt accumulated within the single container, the operator must remove it manually, carry the container and contents to a disposal area, and empty it by turning it over. Typically, the operator may shake the container to remove finer particles. Because of the weight and size of such single hoppers, discarding collected debris may be difficult.
If the standard single hopper is too heavy for a particular application, or if the customer so desires, two separate smaller containers may be purchased in place of the single larger hopper. Nevertheless, the dirt containers rest on a flat, continuous bottom frame, and, where two containers are used, each dirt container can be handled in the same way as a bucket. The containers are positioned on a solid bottom or pan adjacent one another, and located as closely as possible to each other such that as much of the dirt as possible which is delivered by the brush and air stream will be collected. The handles of the dirt containers are pivoted on the inner sides of the dirt containers and, in the use or collection position, the handles lie within the inlet opening of the dirt container so that the handles are subject to the same dirt as the interior of the containers.
Despite the close side-by-side arrangement of the dirt containers on the frame, it is inevitable that a portion of the dirt delivered by the machine will not reach the dirt containers and will fall between or around the dirt containers. The outer surfaces of the dirt containers thus become dirty. Furthermore, dirt accumulates on the carrying handles during use. For that reason, the operator, in the process of emptying the containers, may soil his hands and his clothing due to the accumulation of dirt on the outer surfaces and handle of the dirt containers. The accumulation of dust on the solid bottom surface of the container frame interferes with locating the containers accurately in the use position, requiring the operator to separately clean the bottom surface of the dirt container frame at regular intervals.